Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

The publication of an article in Querencia: Service Engagement is an essential element in building a coherent and respected body of knowledge. It reflects the quality of the authors’ work and the institutions that support them. Therefore, all parties involved in the act of publishing authors, journal editors, peer reviewers, and the publisher are expected to adhere to the following standards of ethical behavior.

Responsibilities of Editors

- Editors are responsible for determining which submitted articles should be published, based on academic merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s focus and scope.
- Editors must ensure a fair, objective, and confidential peer-review process for all manuscripts.
- Editors must not use unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research without the author’s explicit written consent.
- Editors are expected to take appropriate action when ethical concerns or complaints are raised regarding a submitted or published paper.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

- Reviewers assist editors in making editorial decisions and may also support authors in improving their manuscripts through constructive suggestions.
- Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential and must not disclose any information about them to others.
- Reviews should be performed objectively, with clear and evidence-based arguments.
- Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest and decline to review manuscripts where such conflicts exist.

Responsibilities of Authors

- Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are original works and that all sources or quotations from other works are properly cited.
- Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time.
- Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research.
- Authors must disclose any financial or other substantial conflicts of interest that could influence their interpretation of the results.
- If an author discovers a major error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly inform the editor and cooperate to correct or retract the paper.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

- The publisher ensures that publication decisions are based solely on academic merit and remain free from any commercial or personal influence.
- Together with the editorial board, the publisher takes appropriate steps to detect and prevent research misconduct such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or falsification.
- The publisher is responsible for addressing ethical and legal concerns related to all published content and maintaining the integrity of the academic record.